Rose's Ragout:  quick, healthy & delicious
  • Blog
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Banana Oatmeal Bread
    • Basil Walnut Pesto
    • Bison Burger
    • Broccoli and Garlic
    • Bruschetta Sandwich
    • Butternut Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal
    • Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread
    • Egg in a Tomato
    • Flax Seed Bread
    • Garlic Spread
    • Grilled Corn
    • Italian "Sloppy Joe" Sandwich
    • Kale Chips
    • Ovaltine Iced Mocha
    • Parmesan, Garlic & Herb Quick Bread
    • Pizza Crust (Whole Wheat)
    • Pumpkin Cornbread (savory)
    • Pumpkin Pizza with Kale and Bacon
    • Purple Potato and String Bean Salad
    • Sweet Potato, Brussels sprouts, and Kale Salad with Apple and Bacon
    • Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Kale and Goat Cheese (slow cooker)
    • Sweet Potato Drop Donut
    • Turkey and Red Wine Meatballs
    • Turkey Meat Sauce
    • Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
    • Zucchini Banana Muffins
  • What I Ate
  • Contact

Quick, HEalthy, Delicious

Coffee and Sea-Salt Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Walnuts

3/6/2015

1 Comment

 
You guys, I used to be bad at making cookies.

Picture

But look at those beauties, no way I fail at making cookies anymore.  I figured out my problem.  When I bake cookies, I try to make them "healthy cookies."  Substituting ingredients, swapping things around, and it never works in my favor.  No matter how scientifically I think about it.  So I went with my gut, and decided that I would make real-deal cookies.  The kind that has butter and sugar and lots of amazing fillings.  Because everything in moderation, right?  Let's just say moderation was tricky with these bad boys because they were "so good you have to hide them in the freezer cookies."  

Picture

I was craving a chocolate chip cookie Monday.  But not just any chocolate chip cookie.  I wanted something unique.  Since I happened to have the week off, I had no guilt spending Monday morning brainstorming ideas for the type of cookie I'd make.  I'm clearly great at utilizing time productively.  But cookies are productive, right?  Anyway, after thinking for a while, I realized I like coffee with my cookies but I'd never had coffee IN my cookies.  And I realized that sea salt sprinkled on sweet things, adds this pop to the baked good like no other.  I can't explain it, but I knew sea salt and coffee was gonna be a winner.  And walnuts go with chocolate like coffee goes with donuts (no brainer), and this cookie was born. 

Picture

So like I said before, when I get too experimental with a cookie recipe, it never works out in my favor.  I have to give credit to Jessica, because her oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe is literally the best.  I used her recipe and made a few tweaks to it to give it that coffee, walnut and sea salt flare you're oh so curious about.  I have to also give credit to Cait as well because I was scouring the web to see who else had done this before and she's clearly a coffee lover like me.  

So I see so much potential for creating new types of cookies with the base of this cookie recipe.  I've already had requests for trail mix cookies.  Which is actually one of my favorite types of cookies.  You know, putting allllll the dried fruit and nuts into the cookie?  But not raisins, because I hate raisins.  If you love them, I apologize.  But don't add them to the coffee cookies, because that would be weird.


COFFEE AND SEA-SALT OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES WITH WALNUTS 

(original source, modified below)
Makes 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon Penzeys baking spice (you could use cinnamon and nutmeg as a substitute)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 - 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks
sea salt or coarse Kosher salt, for sprinkling
OPTIONAL:  1-2 tablespoons brewed coffee OR milk, only if dough is crumbly

DIRECTIONS:


Preheat the oven to 375 F.  

Cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth.  Slowly add in egg, than vanilla until well combined.  Slowly add in flour, baking powder, salt, instant coffee, and baking spice a little bit at a time.  Beat in oats.  Mix just until the dough comes together.  If the dough is crumbly, add coffee or milk until the dough comes together.  Fold in nuts and chocolate chips and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

Remove dough from fridge.  Scoop about 2 teaspoons worth of dough out at a time and roll into a ball.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Align cookies about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 9-11 minutes.  



Picture
1 Comment

Chocolate Avocado Pudding  #RecipeRedux

2/21/2015

4 Comments

 
I've got a chocolate recipe that your heart will fall in love with...

Picture

So today is Recipe Redux day and you know what that means.  I'm blogging with a theme:
Favorite Chocolate Matches
Does your chocolate need a friend? This month’s posting will be after Valentine’s Day, so you may have a bit of extra chocolate around. What’s your favorite chocolate match? Be it traditional peanut butter or something more exotic like cayenne + chocolate. Show us your favorite healthy chocolate combo recipe.


I was going to share this recipe with you this month anyway, because after demoing it at a wellness center earlier this month, I fell in love.  My heart fell in love; literally and figuratively.  For those of you who didn't know, February is heart health month.    This recipe is very heart healthy, and I like it when my heart is healthy.  Don't you?  

Picture

I'll tell you the truth when I first saw people of the internet making puddings with avocados, I was quite skeptical.  Like how could chocolate and avocado actually pair together?  How could you get a pudding our mousse from something that grows from the ground?  Well, it works.  Avocados are rich, creamy and blend up in the food processor to creamy perfection.  Full of heart healthy fats, you can feel good about eating this pudding and there is NO DAIRY IN IT.  That's right!  So I guess you could say for those of you who follow special diets, that it's pretty much appropriate for everyone:  paleo, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free.  I think people who don't like fun are the only ones who'll be opting out of this recipe.  

While I think the avocado and chocolate make pretty great friends, you can absolutely jazz this up with even more exciting flavor pairings.  I like adding cinnamon, which you'll see in the recipe below.  A little sweet and a little spicy...it's perfect.  But you could change the flavor however you want!  Use coconut milk to get a coconut and chocolate pairing.  Add ginger.  The options are endless.  If you want to be super sneaky, serve this one to kids and don't tell them what the secret ingredient is until after they tell you it's awesome.  After you thank me for getting your kids to eat something green, tell me what your favorite chocolate pairing is!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding


Ingredients:


1 large, very ripe avocado
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave syrup (or honey)
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
sliced strawberries for garnish


Directions:


Combine all ingredients (except for strawberries) in a food processor or high powered blender and garnish with strawberries.  Enjoy!
An InLinkz Link-up
4 Comments

Banana Bread Cookies

11/25/2014

3 Comments

 
I'm pretty sure a bunch of over-ripened bananas is the universal signal for, "bake me!"

Picture

I mean, aren't we all guilty?  Secretly letting our perfectly ripe bananas over-ripen so we can justify why we made cookies, bread, pancakes, muffins...you get the idea.  We tell ourselves it's totally fine because...fruit.  I can picture how this would go over if my mother were here.  
Mom:  "Did you really need to bake cookies?"  
Me:  "Why would I waste bananas?"
See what I mean?  The perfect excuse.

Picture

I don't know if your family has the same problem as my family.  If someone were to bake muffins, or bring muffins into the house, mysteriously, all the muffin tops seem to disappear.  Kind of like the crust to a good loaf of bread seems to disappear, and the crunchy topping on a casserole gets picked off the top.  We are a crunchy, crust loving, topping eating family.  I think it's just who we are.  That's why when Panera invented the muffie, I pretty much fell in love.  It basically solved all my dilemmas.  No more bottom of the muffin waste; the perfect part of the muffin AKA the top is the only part of the muffin when you eat a muffie.  It's pure genius.  

Picture

Kind of how my family has a love affair with muffin tops, we have a similar love affair with coffee.  I blame my dad for that one.  Always asking if we wanted coffee at weird times like 2pm.  Who needs coffee at 2pm?  Wait, that's what I used to say.  Now, coffee pretty much runs through my veins.  I drink it all the time.  ALL DAY LONG.  When they invent an IV drip for coffee, sign me up.  I'll overcome my fear of needles for coffee.  A coffee draught would be pretty much the worst thing ever.  I wouldn't survive.  Not having a baked good to eat with my coffee is a close second to the worst thing ever.  Don't worry though.  These cookies are like a cross between the best muffie you've ever eaten, and the best cookie you've ever eaten.  I think they make the perfect partner in crime for your cup of mid-afternoon joe.  I think they are more muffiny than cookie-like but they are certainly 100% delicious.  

Picture


Banana Bread Cookies

Makes 24 Cookies

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ripe medium/large banana, mashed
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Preheat the oven to 350.  

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Whip in the egg, banana and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a fork (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice).  

Turn the mixer on low and add half of the dry ingredients at a time until incorporated with the wet ingredients.  

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the mini chocolate chips.  Scoop batter by the tablespoonful onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 

Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes (until the edges are golden brown).

Picture
3 Comments

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy Treats

11/13/2014

4 Comments

 
Pumpkin is still in style, right?  

Picture

Okay... good.  I'd be so depressed if it wasn't.  It wouldn't stop me from eating it though.  If you've been following my blog, you know I have a love (and partial obsession) with ALL THE PUMPKIN foods.  I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I mean, I'm bringing you yet another pumpkin themed recipe, right?  You also probably know of my love and partial obsession of coffee.  I promise there's a connection here. 

Picture
Picture

So a few weekends ago, I went home to Ohio to visit my parents and sister and had to make a stop at one of my favorite places in Cincinnati, Coffee Emporium (a coffee shop, obviously).  I had to stop by, because in trying to fit so many things in to one day, I may have only had 4 hours of sleep the night before, so coffee was needed, obviously.  I had also come to town that specific weekend because Alton Brown was visiting as part of his tour (sidenote:  it was awesome, go see it when he comes to your city).  This brings me to reason number two for stopping by Coffee Emporium.  Rumor had it Alton Brown was going to pay a visit.  Spoiler alert, I missed him by an hour.  Sad day indeed.  However, it seems Alton really enjoyed his honey late.

Picture

Coffee Emporium happens to be the place back home that also sells my all time favorite chocolate chip scones.  Is your mouth watering?  Mine is.  Well they were out of them the day I stopped in.  It's fine.  They also happen to make these amazing pumpkin rice crispy treats.  Except I was really lucky that day because they were out of those too.  So instead of crying about my bad luck (because of course, on my way back to my parents house after the Coffee Emporium stop, I got a flat tire on the highway), I decided I'd just make my own version of the pumpkin rice crispy treats (plus chocolate, obviously) when I got back to Peoria.  Seems my luck must have turned around at some point because they turned out pretty great, which is why I'm sharing the recipe with you.  Enjoy!

Picture


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy Treats

Makes 24 rice crispy squares.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (10 ounce) bag mini marshmallows
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 cups rice crispy cereal
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.




Instructions:

Grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Line a small mixing bowl with a paper towel.  Measure out pumpkin puree onto paper towel.  Use a second paper towel and ring out some of the moisture from the pumpkin.  This is important because you want "crisp" treats, not soggy ones.  Think of this the same way you would think of removing extra moisture from defrosted frozen spinach.

Measure out 1/3 cup marshmallows (these are for mixing in later).  

In a saucepan, melt butter and remaining marshmallows together.  Remove from heat and fold in pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.  Allow mixture to cool completely (20-30 minutes).  Not allowing mixture to cool will result in soggy treats.

In a mixing bowl, combine cereal, cooled marshmallow mixture, reserved marshmallows, and chocolate chips.  Spread evenly in greased baking pan and allow to set for 20-30 minutes before cutting in to squares.  

Treats should last about 1 week.  Enjoy!


4 Comments

Sweet Potato Drop Donuts

11/9/2014

0 Comments

 
I took your donut craving to the next level.  Well.. maybe my donut craving.
 
Picture

Consider this recipe 1 of my "Thanksgiving and Holiday" themed recipes.  These are the lazy man's donuts.  The poor man's donuts.  AND, they are super easy to make.  They may not be quick, or healthy, but they sure are delicious.  If you ask me, anything you make yourself automatically feels healthier, so win number one.  And since these are sweet potato donuts, lots of vitamin A from those little orange guys.  So, "healthy," right?  That's win number two.  

Picture

So why did I decide to make my own donuts?  Well it's something I've always wanted to do, but I finally got the inspiration to get the ball rolling in St. Louis Friday.  I'm not a huge fan of heights.  Like really at all.  So while everybody I was with went up the arch, I walked around the exhibits below the arch which are always incredibly interesting.  Lot's of facts about Lewis and Clark and their journey.  It's good stuff.  Well the gift shop at the Arch has these incredible books by Bear Wallow Books.  The "Old Pioneer Recipes" book has a recipe for poor man's donuts aka sweet potato donuts.  That's where inspiration hit.  I modified the recipe a bit to suit my liking but it's got the same idea.

Picture
Picture

Anybody who's known me for even a second knows donuts are my forever food.  The one thing I could eat copious amounts of and never get sick of.  They also know I like things that are easy to make and require minimal clean-up.  These satisfy my craving for donuts and my desire for easy clean-up.  Let me introduce to you the drop donut.  There are drop biscuits, and drop rolls, so why not drop donuts?  They are easy, rustic, and all the little nooks and crannies get super crispy.  It's just wonderful.
Picture

So here's the deal.  This time of year, sweet potatoes can be purchased in a can.  Now I'm not advocating for the canned version, but it's an option if time is of the essence.  You could also use canned pumpkin.  But sweet potato is fun, it's different, and let's face it it's delicious.  To make these donuts, dough is dropped in hot oil by the tablespoon.  They fry until golden brown.  When they are done, they get tossed in pumpkin pie spiced sugar.  What could be better?

Picture

Now if you've made it this far, you're probably thinking... why is a future dietitian promoting eating donuts?  I'm not forcing you to eat these.  In fact, you don't have to make them at all.  But, delicious things bring happiness and happy things are allowed in moderation.  Just promise me you won't eat all of them and you won't eat them every day.  Then we are good.  These donuts would make a great snack on Thanksgiving or just a great fall treat any time of day.  So what are you waiting for, get cooking!

Picture


Sweet Potato Drop Donuts


Ingredients: 
3 T. butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sweet potato, cooked / mashed
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Blend in the eggs and sweet potato.  In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients.  Combine a little at a time into the sweet potato mixture, alternating with the almond milk.  Once the dough is combined, allow to chill for an hour.

Fill a pot with oil and place over medium heat.  To make the spiced sugar, combine sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Set aside.  You want your oil at about 375 F.  You'll know the oil is ready when bubbles form around the back of a wooden spoon.  

Drop the dough in by the tablespoon and let fry for 60-90 seconds on each side, or until golden brown.  Place on a paper towel to remove excess oil and then coat in the spiced sugar.  Serve with a big mug of coffee and enjoy.
0 Comments

    Rose K.

    My name is Rose and I'm always hungry.  Come take a bite out of life with me, and learn just how easy leading a quick, healthy and delicious lifestyle can be.

    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All
    #60SecondSkinny
    Almondbutter
    Baking
    Bison
    Bread
    Breakfast
    Brunch
    Burger
    Chai Tea
    Chicken
    Chocolate
    #ChoppedChallenge
    Coffee
    Cookie
    Dessert
    Dinner
    Dips
    #DoItYourself
    Donut
    Enchiladas
    Fall
    FarmersMarket
    #FarmFresh
    Fresh
    Green Beans
    GroundMeat
    HealthBenefits
    Healthy Habits
    Holiday
    Homemade
    Italian
    Lunch
    MoneySaver
    National Nutrition Month
    NutButter
    Nuts
    PeanutButter
    Pesto
    #PizzaNight
    Potato
    Pumpkin
    Quick Bread
    QuickTips
    #RecipeRedux
    Salad
    Sauce
    Side
    Slow Cooker
    Snack
    Sponsored
    Summer
    Sunbutter
    Sweet Potato
    Tomato
    Turkey
    #UtilizingLeftovers
    Vegetarian
    Zucchini

    RSS Feed


Proudly powered by Weebly